PodMed TT – A State-by-State Look at Morbidity, Illness and Mortality

If you live in Hawaii you probably have reason to celebrate, while those residing in Mississippi may need to carefully consider their lifestyle. That’s because national data Rick and I talk about on PodMed TT this week, as published in JAMA, reveal a seven-year gap in life expectancy between the two states.

This huge dataset reveals a lot of additional information about what people die of, with both COPD and Alzheimer’s disease moving up in the list. The study provides clear targets for policy and other interventions to address health matters on a state-by-state basis.

Rick points out that the majority of factors related to life expectancy are under our control, so if your objective is a long and healthy life, you may not need to move to Hawaii, but simply “listen up and make healthy choices.”